Chapter 32: Starting Today is Day 1 (1)

“Coach—no, Team Leader now. I guess fate really does exist. You even trained me before, and now we’re going to be on the same team.”

Kim Taeyang was excitedly chattering beside me.

Im Jaejoon had pulled Kim Taeyang out of the Hwarang Guild at my request.

Taeyang was a promising rookie in his own right, but he didn’t get along well with his teammates in Hwarang.

Thinking back to when I first met Kim Taeyang, it wasn’t surprising.

He immediately caused a fuss, demanding sparring sessions, openly ignoring and talking back.

People like Taeyang tend to push back unless someone like me gently but firmly puts them in their place.

“I never thought Taeyang would end up on the same team as that fool.”

Kim Inho muttered softly and sighed.

Inho was steadily carving out his position. Depending on his future achievements, he could be named the best rookie Hunter of the year.

In this field, selecting a rookie Hunter isn’t exactly a lottery win.

Some have skills but the wrong mindset, while others are too fearful to fight others.

It was tough, but I personally negotiated a trade with the War God Guild to bring Inho over.

‘They’re probably pretty jealous.’

The person who approved the trade was Kim Shin, the War God Guild’s personnel manager.

It was a complicated web of connections, but this time it brought me great benefits.

“Are these people my juniors? Nice to meet you all. Let’s get along well.”

“Oh, Seohyeonji? Pogeol Seohyeonji, right?”

Kim Taeyang’s face lit up when he recognized Seohyeonji.

“The fourth S-rank, Seohyeonji? I can’t believe a senior like her is on our team.”

Taeyang looked touched, as if relieved that she joined my team.

Seohyeonji arrogantly lifted her chin and glanced toward me. What now?

“But wasn’t Seohyeonji just recently Awakened? Didn’t Taeyang and Inho debut earlier?”

“No, Pogeol was a Hunter-origin girl group.”

“Is that so?”

I had been in another world for eleven years and honestly knew very little about idols or entertainers. Didn’t really care either.

So Seohyeonji had always been a Hunter, but why was her basic stamina so weak?

I asked her cautiously.

“Seohyeonji Hunter, what level are you?”

“Level 1.”

I was left speechless.

I had been Awakened for only a month and was already level 16.

Kim Inho was level 10, and Kim Taeyang was level 7.

Even if she had been juggling being a Hunter and a girl group member, level 1 was just too low.

“No wonder you couldn’t show much strength.”

“Back then, it was just a concept—an Awakened girl group.”

“And now?”

“Now, it’s girl crush.”

She really liked that phrase.

Talent means nothing if your ability only lasts five seconds.

It’s meaningless otherwise.

“Since it’s the first day, Taeyang and Inho, both of you go greet the management team.”

I glanced sharply at Seohyeonji and said in a biting tone,

“For you, we’ll redo the training curriculum.”

“What are you planning?”

“Focusing on stamina and mental strength.”

“Won’t going into a Dungeon together soon get her level up quickly?”

“Where did you learn to be so spoiled… Is this some kind of game?”

I was speechless seeing them expecting a carry like in an online game.

There probably were Guilds doing that, but I wasn’t one of them.

“From now on, Seohyeonji Hunter, you’ll only run on the treadmill.”

“For how long?”

‘Until you drop dead,’ I wanted to say.

She pouted but still complied.

Thanks to her girl group background, running on a treadmill wasn’t too difficult for her.

Our Team 3 training room still lacked proper facilities.

The previous Team 3 probably never trained seriously.

The building had a staff gym, but what I wanted was training as a Hunter.

No matter how excellent your swordsmanship or Magic Power, it’s useless without basic stamina.

Fortunately, I’d requested upgrades for Team 3’s training equipment.

Once proper gear arrived, it’d be much better.

With some time left, I pushed my muscles with bench presses and squats.

Just as I was enjoying training, Seohyeonji stopped running and approached me.

“Are we really going to keep running forever?”

“I told you, your stamina is way too weak.”

“But you can’t expect me to do just this every day. Isn’t there any proper training?”

I checked the time. She’d been on the treadmill for over thirty minutes.

Sweat dotted her forehead. Though grumbling, she was following orders.

“Follow me.”

I led the way.

Seohyeonji hesitated at the shower room entrance.

“Come in.”

“W-why would I go in there with you?”

“You said you wanted other training.”

I filled the bathtub in the shower room to the brim.

When it was full, I beckoned to Seohyeonji, who was hesitating by the doorway.

“Until your stamina improves, you’ll only run.”

“And aside from running, you’ll do this until your mental strength increases.”

I sliced through the water with a hand blade.

Looking up at her, I said,

“Understand?”

“No, I don’t. What are you doing?”

She gave me a suspicious look.

“You’ll part the water like this. Like this.”

“For how long?”

“Until the water splits in two.”

“Are you kidding? What do you think I am, Moses?”

Seohyeonji’s face was a mixture of disbelief and slight anger.

But this wasn’t to torture her—it was genuine.

I pulled up a video on my phone and showed it to her.

• Amanda Risse (27): Aqua Roller demonstration.

Amanda, a famous Spirit Magic user from the United States, split a swimming pool in half like the miracle of Moses.

She performed a show walking along the exposed pool floor.

“Is this CGI?”

“No, it’s not.”

If you can establish and maintain a thin Magic Barrier before the water flows back, you can perform this skill.

It requires massive Magic Power and intense concentration.

Seohyeonji’s current level made it impossible.

“Amanda Risse started at Rank A. Since you, Seohyeonji, began as an S-rank, you should be able to do this easily.”

“Hmph, I’ll try if I have to.”

Seohyeonji squatted down, staring at the bathtub, then glanced at me.

I shrugged.

She carefully sliced the water with her hand blade.

A small splash echoed. She looked at her wet hand and then back at me.

“Do it until you get it.”

“I’m not doing it!”

Seohyeonji shouted at me.

Still, she lasted longer than I expected—about ten minutes.

“I’m an S-rank Hunter, you know!”

“Yes, I know.”

My calm answer made her glare at me with wide eyes.

“Shouldn’t you treat me better?”

“Treat you how?”

Classic villain.

“I’m Seohyeonji!”

“Yes, I haven’t forgotten.”

“You don’t even know my songs or who I am!”

I sighed softly listening to her grumble.

“I heard you.”

“You heard me?”

Seohyeonji’s expression softened a bit.

She had been sulking.

Honestly, I hadn’t intended to listen, but Karin had excitedly played her CD, so I couldn’t help but hear.

“How was it?”

“It was good.”

Her face became gentler.

With her talent as a Hunter, she could even surpass the world’s best Spirit Summoner, Amanda Risse, I thought.

“I’m still just a beginner.”

“Think about it, Seohyeonji Hunter, with your beautiful looks—”

“I—”

“When your extraordinary talent blooms, not only the Republic of Korea but the whole world will be watching, right?”

I could see her ears twitch.

“I don’t ask the impossible. I’m not the type to tell a bald man to keep a ponytail.”

“…Hmph. Whatever. I’m going home.”

Seohyeonji gathered her things.

“My CF schedule is busy. I won’t practice at home. I’ll come back when I have free time.”

She awkwardly said that and left the training room, then turned back and asked,

“By the way, how old are you?”

“I’m thirty.”

“Why do you look younger than me but are older?”

What was I supposed to say?

Seohyeonji spat that out and left the training room.

Come to think of it, how old was she?

I checked—it was twenty-four.

Only six years difference.

When I was in my third year of high school, she was in sixth grade.

Sorry, kid.

“Wow, Team Leader. It’s crazy outside.”

Kim Taeyang and Kim Inho walked into the training room.

“Outside?”

Through the window, new exercise equipment was arriving. From sandbags to gym machines and sparring gear.

“This equipment is no joke. Are we opening a gym or something?”

“Yeah, we have to.”

I smiled, and Taeyang looked at me.

“Uh, no idea who you really are, but this is bad. Looks like I have to spar with the Team Leader too. Haha.”

“Haha. Why are you talking like it’s someone else’s problem?”

Taeyang’s pupils started to dilate at my words.

“Uh, no, that’s not it?”

“Hey, what’s with that? Like an amateur.”

Taeyang backed away. Then suddenly pulled something from his pocket.

He shook his head in disbelief.

“Team Leader, you’re the one who made this happen…”

Taeyang tore up a contract in front of me like he was trying to escape.

I took out my copy and showed it to him.

His pupils dilated even more when he saw it, then he lunged forward and snatched the contract from my hand.

He gave a low chuckle.

“You got careless, Team Leader.”

I felt a bit sorry for him enjoying himself but showed him another paper.

Another contract.

“I made several copies in advance and scanned them into an external hard drive and the cloud.”

Taeyang turned pale at my words. Only Kim Inho was tilting his head in confusion.

“Our Taeyang Hunter’s skills are a bit rusty.”

I smiled warmly.

“The future looks promising.”

At first, our impressions of each other weren’t good.

But debuting on the same day, being the same age, and surviving similar crises created a bond between them.

One was a rookie getting attention this year, and the other had top-tier potential yet to be revealed.

Still, they got along well. Like rivals who inspired each other to grow stronger.

“Isn’t he scared out of his mind?”

Kim Inho said to Kim Taeyang.

Inho was tough and strong-willed, but surprisingly, Taeyang was timid around Team Leader Lee Hyunbin, like a mouse before a cat.

Yesterday, Taeyang was caught by Team Leader Lee trying to secretly move training equipment elsewhere.

Since then, he’d been even more nervous.

“Taeyang, when I trained, sparring was always basic.”

Hunters need real combat training beyond that of martial artists and must study more than just acquiring certifications.

A Hunter afraid of sparring? That’s nonsense.

Kim Inho knew Taeyang had greater talent than himself and didn’t want that talent to be wasted.

“Don’t worry. You’ll be fully protected with gear.”

“…”

“When we get to the training room, I’ll show you how I spar. Watch me and get some courage.”

“…”

Inho saw the dead look in Taeyang’s eyes no matter what he said.

It was frustrating, but trauma doesn’t heal overnight.

He dragged the reluctant Taeyang into the training room.

How did he end up in Hanul Guild?

The War God Guild had many advantages: famous Hunters, lots of members, and popular stars.

Still, Inho chose Hanul because Lee Hyunbin was Team Leader here.

He believed I could solve his chronic problem.

“Hello, Team Leader.”

“Oh, Hunter Inho’s here. Thought Taeyang wouldn’t come today. Well, well.”

I smiled with a teasing eye smile, clearly in a good mood.

Taeyang flinched at the sight.

Kim Inho sighed quietly, then confidently said,

“Team Leader, the sparring room’s ready.”

“Oh, I checked last night. Someone kept messing around, though.”

I looked toward Kim Taeyang and smiled knowingly.

Like when he tried to sneak the training equipment away yesterday.

“From today, we can train properly. Wow, all the equipment’s top-notch.”

“That’s right. Starting today.”

I looked at Kim Taeyang and Kim Inho and smiled brightly.